An integer linear programming approach to maintenance strategies selection

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a reliability centered maintenance (RCM) embedded integer linear programming approach (suited to the budget monetary resources allocation task) to the maintenance strategies mix selection for an industrial plant equipment. Design/methodology/approach – The developed approach allows to determine the optimal maintenance strategies mix for a set of equipment in a more quantitative way than the classic RCM approach. The proposed model takes into account, for each potential failure determined using the FMECA and for each admissible strategy, the costs and the potential risk priority number (RPN) reduction. Finally, an industrial case concerning an Italian paper-mill plant is reported to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach presented. Findings – The paper finds that the application of the proposed approach allows to optimally allocate the budget monetary resources, determining which suitable maintenance practice apply to each failure, taking into account the costs of each strategy and the potential reduction of the RPN. Practical implications – The proposed model permits to assign (during the budget monetary resources allocation task) to each failure the optimal strategy, among a set of suitable maintenance practices, considering the costs and the estimated RPN reduction. Originality/value – The paper proposes a completely new RCM embedded approach to the maintenance strategies selection, in order to optimally allocate the budget monetary resources. This model overcomes the limits of the traditional RCM approach, taking into account quantitative aspects, i.e. the compatibility constraint between failures and policies, the maintenance strategies costs, and the RPN estimated reduction.